Peter Harte's 54th-minute penalty gave Tyrone a 1-10 to 0-11 victory over Meath at wet, miserable and greasy Omagh.

With 6,859 bewildered spectators looking on, for long spells it looked like both teams were trying to bore each other into submission, especially during the course of a bizarre, über-defensive first half.

This match finally exploded to life in the fourth quarter as both sides belatedly played like their seasons depended on it. The winner bagged just 0-4 in the first 48 minutes; but registered 1-4 in the last 16.

At the end of a surreal, low-scoring first half played in very slippery conditions, Meath led by the odd point from seven, 0-4 to 0-3.

Despite not scoring in the first 27 minutes, the visitors notched four scores in five minutes to claim an unlikely interval advantage, with both teams opting for mass defences. The Red Hands - who had the wind at their backs as they attacked the Gortin Road goals - had bossed most of the first 35 minutes territorially and must have been feeling acutely disappointed trudging from the pitch for the recess.

The hosts made three changes to their starting XV, with Barry Tierney, Richard Donnelly and U21 All-Ireland winner Mark Bradley in from the off instead of Tiernan McCann, Ronan O'Neill and Darren McCurry respectively. That was pretty much the height of the drama early on as both sides struggled to get going…

It wasn't until the ninth minute that Sean Cavanagh finally opened the scoring when lofting over a fine point from distance off his left boot. The Royals didn't even threaten the posts until the twelfth minute - wide.

The only other point registered inside the opening 20 minutes came off Cavanagh's right peg in the 18th. Tyrone thought they'd landed a third score via Bradley two minutes later but the umpires - who initially disagreed - eventually deemed that the ball had gone wide.

At the other end, the returning Niall Morgan and Cavanagh combined eight minutes from the break to deny the visitors a possible goal (Morgan thwarting Mickey Newman); centre back Donncha Tobin eventually opened the Royal County's scoring some 28 minutes after throw-in … but they were still just a point adrift.

Mick O'Dowd's men followed up with two more points in as many minutes - from Graham Reilly and Newman (free) to lead by 0-3 to 0-2 after 32. Newman - who started in place of Kevin Reilly - and Bradley exchanged frees as a defensively-orientated first half came to a suitably low-key close.

Brian McMahon stretched the gap three minutes after the resumption; the O'Neill County replied with their eighth, ninth and tenth wides. Poor stuff from Mickey Harte's charges. A Connor McAliskey free from the deck finally had the hosts back up and running some 14 minutes after the restart.

Peter Harte made it all-square: five points apiece after 50 minutes - that's a point each every ten minutes! Wing back Donal Keogan restored the Royals' lead but the turning point arrived at the midway stage in the second half when half-time substitute McCann was felled and Harte emphatically drilled the resultant penalty to the top corner to propel the home team back into a two-point lead, 1-5 to 0-6.

The beaten Leinster semi-finalists were unfortunate twelve minutes from time when an Andrew Tormey effort rebounded to safety off an upright but Graham Reilly made it a one-point match with a terrific solo run and radar-like finish from distance on the hour before Ronan McNabb and substitute Kevin Reilly traded quickfire scores. When the busy Bradley arrowed over a super score for the Red Hands as the match finally exploded to life, it was 1-7 to 0-8 after 61 minutes.

McCann fired over the fifth point inside four breath-taking minutes as the gap went out to three and that man Graham Reilly replied instantly with another majestic point. Bradley pointed again to leave the goal between them with six minutes left and another score from substitute Darren McCurry left four between the teams for the first time.

Despite finishing strongest, Meath couldn't get back on terms. It was end-to-end stuff and the scoring flurry was continued by Bryan Menton. Three minutes from time, the Royals carved out a great goalscoring opportunity but substitute Joey Wallace's effort flew agonisingly wide. Kevin Reilly thumped over another lovely score for the visitors on the stroke of full time and the final whistle sounded after a nervy period of Tyrone keep-ball.

Tyrone are through to the third round of the SF Qualifiers; Meath's season is over.

Tyrone - N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; R McNabb (0-1), Joe McMahon, P Harte (1-1, 1-0pen); C Cavanagh, M Donnelly; B Tierney, R Donnelly, R Brennan; M Bradley (0-3, 1f), S Cavanagh (0-2), C McAliskey (0-1f). Subs: T McCann (0-1) for B Tierney, D McCurry (0-1) for R Donnelly, C McCann for R Brennan, R O'Neill for C McAliskey, C McShane for M Bradley.

Meath - C McHugh; J McEntee, C McGill, D Tobin (0-1); D Keogan (0-1), P Harnan, D Dalton; B Menton (0-1), H Rooney; G Reilly (0-3), S Bray, A Tormey; E Wallace, M Newman (0-2f), B McMahon (0-1). Subs: D Lenihan for E Wallace, K Reilly (0-2) for M Newman, S Tobin for S Bray, J Wallace for B McMahon, M Burke for J McEntee, B Power for D Dalton.

Referee - C Branagan.

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